Many pet owners keep their pets primarily indoors, only periodically letting them outdoors for a limited duration of time for expending of bodily waste, exercising, fresh air or other purposes. A problem that may arise is that a pet owner may become otherwise occupied and forget to let the pet back into the home. This may pose risks or problems to one or both of the animal and owner. For example, in cold weather climates, leaving an animal outdoors that is accustomed to warmer indoor temperatures can be risky for the animal and cause feelings of guilt for the owner even if the animal does not suffer any physical consequences from the exposure to the cold. Other possible issues may arise, as an animal left alone outdoors for an extended period may be more likely to run away, leading to increased chances of violent altercations with other animals or potential harm by exposure to vehicular traffic.
Accordingly, there is a desire for ways to better monitor the whereabouts of household animals occasionally or periodically let outdoors without direct supervision to ensure that they safely return indoors.